Not to deny the realities of the tensions there, but liberals are relatively loose with term imperialism. There is a difference between an imperialist state like the US and an anti-imperialist — and until recently imperialized — state like China.

China is consistently confrontational in the South China Sea and beyond

Yeah why so confrontational, China?

Foreign Policy, 2013: Surrounded: How the U.S. Is Encircling China with Military Bases. And that article is a decade old; it’s only gotten worse.

The US has over 750 overseas military bases around the world, and is building more to further encircle China. Meanwhile China has one anti-piracy base in Djibouti.